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1/32 Ki 43


Artful69

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As most of you are probably aware, GWH (Great Wall Hobby) is releasing an early war (pre-war if you’re from USA) P.40 … 

 

These, of course, saw combat over China in volunteer roles … one of the aircraft they were to find as dancing partners were Ki-43 Hayabusas.

 

Hasegawa makes one in 32’ … is this the right version? OR can it be made INTO the right version with minimal fiddling?

Any known issues otherwise?!

 

Rog :)

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According to the single source I have, the Ki-43-I was the sole production variant until 1942 (Nohara, p.62) when the Ki-43-II was introduced(Nohara, p.70).  That would mean that while the AVG was active, they would've mostly encountered the Ki-43-I.  Having said that, there is no current model of the Ki-43-I in 1/32 scale.  There are numerous structural and detail differences between the Ki-43-1 and the Ki-43-II.  It would be extremely difficult to take Hasegawa's Ki-43-II and back date it to a Ki-43-I. Differences include (but may not be limited to) the cowl, wings, prop, cockpit (instrument panel), canopy (square cross section on the -I vs. rounded cross section on the -II) (Nohara, p.62, 70).  If you're an avid scratch builder than you may be able to tackle the prominent differences but Hasegawa's kit is not easily converted to a Ki-43-I.

 

REFERENCE:

 

Nohara, S. (2000). Aero detail 29, Hayabusa, Nakajima Ki-43, "oscar". Dai Nippon Kaiga LTD publshing, Tokyo.  p. 62, 70.

Edited by Juggernut
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48 minutes ago, Juggernut said:

According to the single source I have, the Ki-43-I was the sole production variant until 1942 (Nohara, p.62) when the Ki-43-II was introduced(Nohara, p.70).  That would mean that while the AVG was active, they would've mostly encountered the Ki-43-I.  Having said that, there is no current model of the Ki-43-I in 1/32 scale.  There are numerous structural and detail differences between the Ki-43-1 and the Ki-43-II.  It would be extremely difficult to take Hasegawa's Ki-43-II and back date it to a Ki-43-I. Differences include (but may not be limited to) the cowl, wings, prop, cockpit (instrument panel), canopy (square cross section on the -I vs. rounded cross section on the -II) (Nohara, p.62, 70).  If you're an avid scratch builder than you may be able to tackle the prominent differences but Hasegawa's kit is not easily converted to a Ki-43-I.

 

REFERENCE:

 

Nohara, S. (2000). Aero detail 29, Hayabusa, Nakajima Ki-43, "oscar". Dai Nippon Kaiga LTD publshing, Tokyo.  p. 62, 70.

 
… so in other words I’d be looking at something like this …

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/umi-n-a-nakajima-ki-43-i-oscar-conversion-early--1087782

 

… if available?

 

Rog :)

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3 minutes ago, Artful69 said:

 
… so in other words I’d be looking at something like this …

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/umi-n-a-nakajima-ki-43-i-oscar-conversion-early--1087782

 

… if available?

 

Rog :)

 

Yep but UMI has been out of business for years now (I think the guy behind UMI, passed on).  You might ask in the traders board if someone has one they're willing to let go.  You'd still need to source the squared off canopy (if you were going to go that far).

Edited by Juggernut
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11 hours ago, eoyguy said:

The AVG also ran up against KI-27's (where it was known as the Zero...B)), and there is a kit available from Special Hobby that may be applicable.

I built one of these just after Christmas, nice kit, lots of cockpit details and went together well, I would recommend the kit.  It would have been an unfair fight with a P-40 I would have thought. I think by 1942 it was on its way to trainer classification.

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19 hours ago, Dennis7423 said:

 

I'd put my money on ICM, or Hasegawa tooling a new one.

 

- Dennis S.

   Thornton, CO USA

 

Or possibly Revell. Any of those three could produce a nice model. Though I'd rather it was the later variant Hayabusa. 

 

Tony 

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1 hour ago, thierry laurent said:

I'm afraid Hasegawa is not anymore in that race... They did not release any new 1/32 kit since 2016.

 

But nor have Tamiya in 1/32, apart from existing kit tweaks. It would be nice if Revell did a new Ki-43, if Hasegawa truly are out of the game.

 

Tony 

 

 

 

 

 

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